best lenses for filming from the ground, airplanes performing in the air.
- Thread starter flean
- Start date
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
Well, this can be complicated.
You want very telephoto lenses, and because it's action/sports, something with some sort of VR (vibration reduction) or stabilization is very useful. Also, because you will be on such a long lens, you will want a VERY solid tripod with a very fluid and stable head. You'll likely want lots of weight with that setup too, as small tripods and heads usually transmit shake and vibration much more easily.
Try some long lenses and look into doublers. They make lens doublers for almost all major lens mounts, Canon/Nikon being the most common but it's very common even in the PL mount world.
Also be sure to get a polarizing filter, maybe a UV filter as well. This will help with making the sky blue and/or seeing through atmospheric haze, by eliminating the ultraviolet light scatter. Besides that, good luck. My roommate is actually off to shoot in Oshkosh, where apparently some big airshow is taking place. He took a Red Epic and a Canon 100-400mm lens with a 2x doubler. His mistake was taking a monopod. What in the hell he can shoot at a doubled 400mm on a monopod is anyone's guess.
jghenderson
Well-known member
Haha, I foresee him having a bad time.
But seriously, really? A camera as great as a red epic, and then just put it on a monopod? Did he give any justification for taking that route? My assumption would be maneuverability but that would seem to be much less important than shake resistance.
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
Yes. It's not a job. He's going for fun as he's an avaition nerd. He wanted to travel light and fast because it's a vacation after all. However, I think recreationally shooting aircraft and traveling light is not something that goes hand in hand, especially when on a 400mm doubled in. Oh well.
Andrius Simutis
Veteran
Is this an air show or an air race? If it's the race, then you might be able to get away with some shots that aren't as zoomed in as an air show since you'll be able to have some context on the ground that actually makes a better shot. You'll still need some serious telephoto to get the shots, but not the kind of reach that you'd need to isolate a single plane way up in the sky. The downside is that you'll need to scout out a really good spot if the planes aren't all flying way overhead.
Check these shots out: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/air_racing.html
Check these shots out: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/air_racing.html